Knitting needle



B. MORRISON Dec. 26, 1959 KNITTING NEEDLE Filed April 7, 1948 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 26, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT O FF 1 C E KNITTING NEEDLE Berit', Morrison, Detroit, Mich.

ApplicatinmAprili'l, 194 8';Serial No.T193561 (Cl; GE -I17).

This invention relates to. improvements. in knitting needles. andpartieularly to an improved hand knitting needle having means for preventing unraveling when theneedle-is removed from knitted work Heretofore, when a knitting. needle was :removed from the loops of yarnofknitted work through which it extends there was a verylikely possibility unless some precautionary operation waswperformed that the knitting would start to unravel; A frequent practice before removal of the needle or-- immediately after it was removed was to work a piece of. string, thread or the like by: means of: another needle completely through the unknittedaloops of yarn. This would prevent unraveling but the: operation of working the string or thread through the loops was tedious and time consuming and in many instances the .loops were left unsecured for-this reason.

An important object-ofthis invention is 130 :1310 v-ide an improved knitting needle having novel means for quickly and conveniently drawing a string; thread or the; like through the unknitted loopsof yarn; Another important, object is to provide a: knitting needle which is constructed in a novel manner for drawing aipsecuring string or thread through theunknittedloopsat the same time the needle is removed therefromz. A: further ob ect? of the: invention: is to: provide I a knitting needle having such novel: means which also that they will-fully receive adjacent portions of the string and-causethestringto.liebelow or at least'flushrwith thersuriaceof the needle. Associated with the need e isa head orcapwhich when" assembled son the needle coversithe rgrooves and-passage andconceals' them from view. The cap is provided: with means interengaging with the-grooves foryassistingqin detachably securing the cap to thEIiBBdlBi Additional'branch grooves are: provided: in. the side portions of the needle extending at; rightgang-lfisi, to; the; longitudinal grooves. and communicating. therewith so. that upon partial-rotationof thecap the interengaging means previously referred to may enter the branchsgrooves and releasably lock the-cap. from removalr Various other objects, advantages andmeritorious features will become more fully apparent fromthefolowing specification, appended-claims and aocomp anying. drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a sidev-iewof a knitting. needle of the present invention show-n with the cap attached 'andthehody portion extending through theloops of: knitted work in a conventional position,

Fig. -2:is-a-side view similar to Fig l but show- :ing; thewcap removed and a securing string attaoh-edto-the head endef the needle preparatory to drawing the string through the loops of the knitted work on the needle,

Fig;.3isa side view showing the knitting needle in-the act of drawing. the securing string through themnknitted-loopsof yarn from'w-hich-the needle isbeing. removed,

Fig. 4 issa cross-sectional view taken: along line 4-4 01?- Figl L showing: one manner of. attaching the-capto the needle,

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view takenalong line 5 -5- of Fig.2 showing a. securing-- string in position on the needle,

Fig, 6: is an enlarged fragmentary view of the head end of the knitting needle partly broken away in-section to show the operating position assumed by the securing string when drawn through the loops of yarn, 7

Fig.7 isarperspective view of the head end of the" knitting needleshowing the cap in position preparatory to being received on the needle,

Fig; 8 is a side view of the head end of the knittingneedle-showingone manner of: shaping the grooves for releasablyilocking the cap in position on the needle, and

Fig; 9 isa side view similar toFig'. 8 showing a modified arran ement of the'grooves for releasably lock-ingthercap'on the needle.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the-elongatedbody portion of a knitting needle is indicated at "land as in conventionalpractice is provided with: a tapered or pointed working end 12. The needle is preferably of cylindrical shape except for the pointed working: end and may besolid-a's shown or hollow if desired. The end of the needlebodyopposite to its pointed. end

"may: terminate relatively abruptly to forman end face having the rounded contour shown:

Removably securedto this end of the body I0 is a headeor cap generally indicatedzatl I 4-.- When the cap is mounted on the body as shown in Fig. 1 the assembly assumes the appearance of a conventional knitting needle.

Extending transversely through the body l0, preferably adjacent to the head end, is a passage or hole I6 which as shown in Figs. 5 and 6 opens through to the opposite sides of the body. This passage or hole is formed with such a diameter that a piece of string, thread or other flexible element [8 may be easily threaded therethrough. The opposite side portions of the body l0 through which the passage 16 opens are each provided with a longitudinal extending recess or groove 20. The grooves extend in alignment with the mouths of the pas -age and open thereinto as shown in Figs. 8 and 9. The grooves extend away from the passage toward the head end of the needle and open out therethrough. The grooves 20 are each formed with a width and depth that they may fully receive the element or string IS without any portions thereof projecting above the surface of the body H! of the needle.

Although not absolutely essential to the practice of this invention it is desired to locate the hole [6 and the grooves 20-20 immediately adjacent to the head end of the needle in order that a cap of the character shown at 14 when attached will not only cover and conceal the hole and grooves but also be held thereby against unintentional removal. The cap M of the illustrated embodiment comprises a sleeve portion 22 and a wider circular flange 24 fixed to one end of the sleeve and closing the same. The sleeve 22 is of a diameter to slidably telescopingly re ceive the grooved end of the body l0 and is of such a length to reach and cover the passage l6 as shown in Fig. 1.

Although any suitable means may be employed to secure the cap I 4 to the needle it is desired to use one or more of the longitudinal grooves 20-20 and one or more additional branching grooves for releasably locking the cap on the needle. For this purpose as shown in Fig. 8 a short branching groove 26 is associated with each longitudinal groove 20 and opening thereinto preferably at the mouth of the passage l6. The branching grooves preferably extend perpendicular to the longitudinal grooves and together with the longitudinal groove with which they are associated forming an L-shape configuration. Each groove 26 is narrowed intermediate its ends as shown at 28 in Fig. 8. Carried by the sleeve portion 22 of the cap and extending inwardly thereof are one or more projections 30 of a size to be slidably received in the longitudinal grooves 20 and the branching grooves 26. These projections are preferably in the form of small pins extending radially inwardly from the inner periphery of the sleeve and diametrically on opposite sides thereof.

The pins 30 and the narrowed waist portion 28 of branching grooves are so related in size that the pins resistingly slide therethrough. In attaching the cap to the needle, it is slidably telescoped over the end of the needle for which it is intended, the pins 30-30 entering the longitudinal grooves -20 until the open ends of the passage [6 are reached. Thereafter upon partial rotation of the cap in one direction the pins will enter and slide through the branching grooves 26-26. After the pins pass the restricted portion 28 of the grooves 26 they are resistingly retained from return movement unless intentional manual force is applied to do so. In this mannerthe cap is releasably held on the needle until it is desired to thread a securing string thereto.

When it is desired to remove the needle l0 and at the same time run a securing element through the loops 32 of an unfinished portion of a knitted Work 34, the cap I4 is removed and a string or thread I8 is threaded part way through the passage 16. The string or thread 18 selected should be substantially greater in length than the unknitted looped edge of the knitted work in order that when pulled completely therethrough it will project from the opposite ends of the work. Preferably the string 18 is threaded through the passage I 6 so that one projecting end section is considerably greater in length than the other end section in the manner shown in Fig. 3. Thereafter, the needle is pulled through the loops 32 drawing the string therebehind. The end sections of the string immediately adjacent to the passage i6 automatically fall into the longitudinal grooves 20-20 as they slide under the first loop 32. In this manner the string is prevented from snagging on the loops and the act of withdrawing the needle is as smooth as if no string were attached thereto.

It is well known that the loops of yarn 32 relatively tightly embrace the body of the needle and if no provision were made for retracting the string within the body the projecting string portions would engage the loops 32 and depending on how tightly they embrace the needle either piling the loops one on the other preventing further withdrawal of the needle or imposing a considerable greater resistance to the movement of the needle. After the needle has been completely drawn through the loops 32, the rear projecting end of the long string section may be grasped by one hand while the needle is moved further away from the loops. This will cause the short end section to pull completely through the passage l6 separating the string from the needle and leaving it intact in one long piece in the loops. The presence of the string or other element used for this purpose in the loops will prevent unraveling of the knitted yarn.

Fig. 9 illustrates a modified form of branch grooves for releasably holding the cap in place on the needle. Each branch groove of this modification extends perpendicularly away from the longitudinal groove with which is is associated and is then bent at its outer extremity toward the adjacent end of the needle. In this manner each branching groove 36 forms a bayonet type of joint for receiving and holding the pins 35-30 of the cap.

What I claim is:

1. A knitting needle having a detachable cap on one end thereof and a transverse hole therethrough adapted to be covered by the cap, and a longitudinal groove associated with each opening end of the hole and extending from the hole to said end of the needle.

2. A knitting needle tapered at one end and having a sleeve-like head removably received over the opposite end, said needle having a transversely extend ng hole therethrough adapted to be covcred by the head when the latter is received onthe needle, and a longitudinal groove in the side of the needle aligning with each end of the hole and opening thereinto, said grooves extending from the hole to the end of the needle over which the head is receivable and adaptfd to receive portions of a stringer the like threaded through said hole.

3. A knitting needle tapered at one end and having a sleeve-like cap detachably received over the other end, said needle having a hole extending transversely therethrough so located adjacent to the cap attaching end of the needle that the cap covers the hole when fully received thereon, and a longitudinally extending groove in the needle associated with each end of the hole aligning itself therewith and opening thereinto, said grooves extending from the hole to the cap attaching end of the needle and being of such a depth as to fully receive a string 1ying longitudinally therein, said needle with the cap removed adapted to be pulled through the loops of unfinished knitted Work with a string extending through the hole and having adjacent portions thereof lying in each of the grooves.

4. A knitting needle tapered at one end and having a sleeve-like cap detachably received over the other end, said needle having a hole extending transversely therethrough so located adjacent to the cap attaching end of the needle that the cap covers the hole when fully received thereon, and a longitudinally extending groove in the needle associated with each end of the hole aligning itself therewith and opening thereinto, said grooves extending from the hole to the cap attaching end of the needle and being of such a depth as to fully receive a string lying longitudinally therein, said needle with the cap removed adapted to be pulled through the loops of unfinished knitted work with a string extending through the hole and having adjacent portions thereof lying in each of the grooves, and means on the cap for detachably securing the same to the needle adapted to enter at least one of said grooves and slide therealong when the cap is attached to or removed from the needle.

5. A knitting needle having a sleeve-like cap detachable receivable over one nd thereof and a passage extending transversely therethrough so located adjacent to said end that when the cap is fully received on the needle it covers the mouths of the passage, a pair of longitudinally extending grooves on opposite sides of the needle each aligning with a mouth of the passage and extending therefrom to said end of the needle, said passage being of such a diameter as to receive a string threaded therethrough and said grooves being of such'a depth as to fully receive the adjacent portions of the string threaded in the passage, a branch groove in the needle associated with each mouth of the passage and extending therefrom at an angle to said longitudinal grooves, and means on the cap for detachably holding the same on the needle adapted upon slidable movement of the cap on the needle to enter said longitudinal grooves and be guided thereby to said branch grooves and upon partial rotation of the cap to slidably enter said branch grooves.

6. A knitting needle having a pair of correspending substantially L-shaped grooves formed on opposite side portions thereof adjacent to one end of the needle, one leg section of each L- shaped groove extending substantially longitudinally of the needle and opening out through said end thereof, the other leg section of each L-sheped groove extending transversely of the needle but terminating short of the other I.-

shaped groove, a passage extending diametrically through the needle and opening out through the opposite sides thereof at the juncture of leg sections of each pair of L-shaped rooves, said passage and said longitudinal leg sections of the L-shaped grooves being of a size to wholly receive a string therein, a removable head for said end of the needle having a sleeve portion slidably fitting the end of the needle, and one or more inwardlyextending projections on the inside of said sleeve portion adapted to enter and slide through said L-shaped grooves.

7. A hand knitting needle pointed at one end and having a substantially cylindrical section at the opposite nd terminating relatively abruptly to form an end face, said cylindrical section proided with a transverse hole of a size to receive a string and extending completely therethrough and opening out On opposite side portions of the needle, said needle further provided with a longitudinally extending groove in each of said side portions between the hole and the end face of said cylindrical end section and opening into the hole at one end and out through said end face at the other end, said grooves bein of a width and depth sufficient to wholly receive portions of a string inserted through said hole whereby the needle with a string threaded through said hole may be pulled through unfinished knitted work with portions of the string lying wholly in said grooves.

8. A knitting needle having a pointed working and, a head for the opposite end of the needle, means detachably mounting the head on said opposite end of the needle, said needle having a transverse hole completely therethrough and located adjacent to the head end of the needle, and a longitudinal groove aligning with each opposite mouth of the hole and extending from the hole to the end of the needle upon which the head is mounted.

9. A knitting needle having a pointed working end and terminating in a non-working substantially cylindrical section at the opposite end, said needle provided with a transverse hole extending completely through said substantially cylindrical end section and further provided with a pair of oppositely disposed longitudinal grooves aligning with the opposite openings of the hol and extending from the hole to the end of said cylindrical section, and an element forming a head for the non-working end of the needle detachably connected to the said cylindrical section and closing said transverse hole.

BERT MORRISON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,268,752 -Metcalf June 4, 1918 2,067,197 Maiden Jan. 12, 1937 2,117,143 Burger May 10, 1938 2,242,880 Dunn May 20, 1941 2,456,718 Marinsky Dec. 12, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 212,391 Switzerland Feb. 17, 1941 

